The Door
by sequinedswan
Summary: Gilbert gets his door, only he doesn't go through it, because it's a bit soon isn't it? Annie/Gilbert. Also the song at the end is Ghosts by Japan


**"Right well I guess this means I'll be off then. It was nice meeting you Annie, really _really _nice."**

**She doesn't say anything. She just stares at the door for a moment and then finally back at him as he lights another cigarette and she wants to tell him to stop doing that but really what can she say? They're bad for your health? He's dead, _they're_ dead so it's not like it makes a difference but she can't imagine he's getting any kind of a nicotine hit from them because again - he's dead! And isn't it funny the things you fixate on at times like this?**

**"Or you could stay?" she suggests, without really thinking about the words that are coming out of her mouth. She doesn't love him, but she likes him and _could_ love him, eventually, maybe, once she gets over the whole Owen thing so it's worth a shot isn't it? "I mean you can't just tell a girl you love her then wander off into heaven, or oblivion or whatever the hell's behind that door," she points out. "That's just…that's just not on! And you know I've had a really shitty day and…look Gilbert will you just come away from that door please?"**

**He turns to face her slowly, the cigarette dangling elegantly between his finger and smiles ever so slightly. "Say that again?" he asks, as if he's not sure he's heard her right because he can't even hope for this kind of thing, not after spending the last month watching her being in love with her fiancé.**

**She exhales slowly, then steps forward, grabbing his arm and pulling him away from the door and closer to her. "I _said_ come away from that bloody door!" she repeats.**

**"You missed out the 'bloody' the first time actually," he replies, smiling a little more widely now. "But you know if I don't go through it's just going to stay there, in the middle of your living room."**

**"So? We can go around it or something. _You_ can keep away from it all together obviously. I'll move the stereo so it's on the other side of the room just to be on the safe side," she says, moving them both back into the kitchen as she talks.**

**"You don't think Mitchell and George might find that a bit annoying?"**

**"George trashed this place a few months ago when he turning into a wolf, so I don't think he has a leg to stand on there and Mitchell, well he's easy. I'm sure it won't bother him and so what if it does? Gilbert you're not going through that door just to make life easier for _them_. Unless…do you _want _to move on?" she asks, hoping she doesn't sound nearly as worried as she feels. "Cos I mean if you do well that's different isn't it? I'm not going to stop you or anything I just…I don't really want you to that's all."**

**"Well a bit of me does, yeah," he says carefully, "and a bit of me knows that I really should and it's my time to leave this mortal coil good and proper but well it seems a bit silly doesn't it? A bit unfair? The moment I tell you I'm in love with you poof some higher up decides 'that's it for you, matey. Off you go. You found love. That's your lot!' I should get to _experience _it for a bit first shouldn't I? I mean that's only fair isn't it? After twenty four years of death waiting for it, not to mention the twenty five before I died. There's no justice to that is there, Annie? No, that's just a bit _too _cruel, that is."**

**She smiles and reaches across the table for his hand and squeezes it tightly. "Is that the Gilbert way of saying you'll stay?" she asks.**

**"It is indeed," he confirms squeezing her hand back. It's nice this, he doesn't meet many ghosts he likes that much, even fewer that like him back and that are willing to hold his hand or anything like that. It's human. This is what humanity's all about isn't it? Touch and love and being able to reach out to someone and affect them. How the hell has it taken him this long to work that out? He's a clever man, he has a degree and he understands philosophy and things like that, but somehow all of this has passed him by until now.**

**"Maybe one day my door'll come too and we can go through it together?" she suggests. "That'll work won't it? I mean they can't force us to go through separately can they? Not if it's both our times?"**

**"I'm sure that'll work just fine," he assures her, pulling his chair further along, so that he's closer to her. The sound of the wood on the tile floor echoing through the empty house. "Hopefully we'll have a while though, yeah? I mean I'm not sure what it'll be like on the other side and there's quite a few things I'd like to do first if you catch my drift." He smiles at her then in a way she's not seen before, sort of suggestive and it makes her blush and look away, down at the table.**

**"Gilbert!" she says shaking her head. "And here was me thinking you weren't like other men."**

**"Well I'm not," he says, completely unabashed, "I'm dead for a start. You'd think that sort of thing would put a dampener on the sex drive wouldn't you? And well it has actually, for exactly twenty four year. So I think I can be forgiven right? Or at least I hope I can be, what do you think?"**

**She laughs and leans in to kiss him fully on the lips purely because it feels like the right thing to do under the circumstances, which is of course exactly when Mitchell and George to come barging in.**

**"Did you know we have a new door _right_ in the middle of the living room?" George is already saying as he sees them. "Oh…um hello Gilbert, so um yes, the door?"**

**If Gilbert were a violent man he might be sorely tempted to do _something_ to George right now, but he's a pacifist (well a socialist pacifist which means he's allowed to hit the police or a member of the government if he thinks he can possibly get away with it) so instead he just glares and then realises Annie's still holding his hand which makes things a lot more bearable.**

**"Interestingly enough George we did notice that, yes," Annie says calmly, trying to get Mitchell to read her mind and make excuses for them to leave again. "It's Gilbert's. It'll probably be staying for a while because he's not going to go through it, is that alright?"**

**"Oh um well it's a bit…" Mitchell nudges him hard in the back and his protest dies. "I mean yes, that's absolutely fine, I'm sure I'll get used to it."**

**"Right well that's great news," Mitchell says cheerily, "I'm very happy for you mate, but you know I just remembered we really need to go and do the weekly shop. I swear I'd forget my head if it wasn't attached! Come on George."**

**"But we went shopping-" **

**"Come _on_, George," he hisses, pulling him out of the kitchen.**

**"I didn't sign up for this you know? I mean one ghost fair enough but two of them…"**

**"I think it'll be good for Annie," he says. "And Gilbert's a good guy, I wouldn't have introduced them otherwise."**

**"Gilbert's _weird_!"**

**"Well Annie likes him and so do I and that's good enough for me!"**

**"They know we can hear them don't they?" Gilbert asks as the front door clicks shut.**

**"George is yet to master simple social skills," she says. "Bit like you actually," she teases.**

**"I resent that accusation, I'm just a bit rusty. Comes from being a ghost for so long. It's a bit difficult to find decent conversation."**

**"I'm finding that, yeah," she agrees, leaning in to kiss him again, because it feels nice. Not all cold like Mitchell said, probably because they're both ghosts so there are no temperature issues. "I'm glad Mitch decided I should meet another ghost and that it was you, particularly. And actually you do fine, once you get used to the whole 80s thing."**

**"Hey the 80s were a brilliant decade. They produced some amazing songs that really stand up to the test of time. Not like all this vacuous crap that gets made nowadays," he protests.**

**"I'm sure they were. I don't remember them at all, so I've never really seen the appeal. Well you know, until _now_ obviously," she adds quickly.**

**"You seriously need re-educating, girl," he tells her. "Luckily you're in very good hands with me."**

**"Promises promises," she says, her eyes twinkling and it's Gilbert's turn to blush then.**

**"I did mean that perfectly innocently, well you know, _mostly_ innocently," he says.**

**"Yeah yeah, whatever you reckon," she says standing and pulling him up with her and towards the living room, careful to avoid the door. "Think it might disappear after a while?"**

**"I don't know, hopefully. Maybe it'll take the hint?"**

**"I hope so," she sighs, moving over to the stereo and turning it on before curling up on the sofa, patting the seat beside her for him to join her. "It makes me feel a bit uneasy."**

_**When the room is quiet**_

_**The daylight almost gone**_

**"Is all 80s music this bloody depressing?" she asks, leaning her head against his shoulder as the music starts.**

_**Iust when I think I'm winning**_

_**When I've broken every door**_

_**The ghosts of my life **_

_**Blow wilder than before**_

**"Just the stuff I like," he admits, winding his arm around her shoulder. "Sorry about that."**

**"I suppose I'll get used to it won't I?" she replies, moving closer against his body. She's already putting it on willingly, which is something isn't it?**


End file.
